It’s a Fight to Earn Your Dollars

Rivalries are fun to watch. Whether you sat in the bleachers and routed for your high school time or proudly wear your college colors to this day, Rivalries are part of what make America great. We’re used to cheering on our favorite sports teams, but big corporations have rivalries too.

Some rivalries like Pepsi vs. Coke a Cola play out for the public to see, while others are fought in board rooms behind closed doors. Regardless of where they play out, rivalries create healthy competition and a strong economy. Not to mention, the more competitive the Industry the less we pay for the products and services we love.

Here’s a list of Corporate Rivalries and how they played out in 2015:

Industry – Beer Brewing

Big name brewers took a big step towards squashing rival craft breweries in 2015 with a merger for the history books. Anheuser-Busch and SABMiller the world’s two biggest beer companies merged last year. The merger cost $104 billion and means that the new company now owns over 400 beer brands. According to Time magazine that includes 8 of the top 10 bestselling brands in the United States.

Industry – Online Retail

Amazon has grown from an online book store to a one stop shop for just about everything. Jet.com stepped up their rivalry in 2015 by offering Costco type pricing and no membership fee. Will Jet.com steal some of Amazon’s market share in 2016?

Industry – Fast Food

While Burger King is often pegged as McDonald’s biggest rival, Taco Bell took their rivalry up a notch last year with a set of TV commercials mocking McDonald’s breakfast offerings. The winner of this round goes to McDonald’s who fought back with the gift of all day breakfast. Fans of the Fast Food chain have been asking for it for years, and in 2015 it became a reality.

Industry – Entertainment

Disney has been reaping the benefits of its acquisition of Marvel for a few years now with hits like Iron Man and the Avengers franchise, but with Superman vs. Batman to hit theaters in 2016 Warner Brothers is striking back with super hero properties of its own. Will the Justice League earn more at the box office than Avengers? We’ll soon find out.

What rivalries did you watch in 2015? Who will earn your dollars in 2016? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.